The timber company owns the bulk of the shoreline and tidelands that make up the inner harbor, but there are other landowners that need to be involved, too.

The other landowners should follow the lead of Simpson and work with the tribe.

One of the goals of the project would be to boost coho production in Goldsborough Creek, which flows right past Simpson’s lumber operations into Shelton Harbor.

The tribe and Simpson already have a history of cooperation when it comes to Goldsborough Creek. In 2001, they and other project partners successfully removed an old Simpson dam on the creek that blocked valuable rearing and spawning habitat upstream of the dam. The project significantly boosted coho production in Goldsborough Creek.

“Goldsborough is the only system in all of Puget Sound that has produced more, not less, coho in the last few years,” noted John Konovsky, environmental program manager for the Squaxin Island Tribe. “All other creeks and rivers have experienced a severe decline, especially in South Sound.”

Habitat improvements in Shelton Harbor would be a logical extension of the work that’s already occurred in the creek.

One possible project would involve creating more gradual slopes along portions of the shoreline to allow salt marsh plants to grow.

It’s a type of estuary habitat missing from the inner harbor, a habitat that could help juvenile coho transition from fresh water to salt water.

Lumber operations in the inner harbor have evolved over the years, reducing the number of water-dependent activities, including log rafts that once covered the surface of lower Oakland Bay. Fewer log rafts mean more opportunity for habitat and water quality improvements.

A state Department of Ecology assessment of sediments in Oakland Bay and Shelton Harbor found dioxins present throughout the harbor and bay. A review by the state Department of Health suggests the pollution isn’t severe enough to restrict people from eating shellfish harvested in Oakland Bay, a prime commercial shellfish growing area.

Because of their low fat content, shellfish aren’t prone to accumulating dioxin.

However some cleanup may be required. Properly coordinated, the habitat restoration plan and cleanup plan could advance at the same time, improving the health of Shelton Harbor and pointing to the day when the waterfront is more than just an industrial zone.

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